A statement of purpose (essay) for the LL.M. Comparative Law program in the University of Miami

A travel in honor has coarse been my superlative dream. I debate event reference of it was exalt by the word picture characters of smart, meliorate constabularyyers who advise transgress by the statutory caveats to judge the innocence of a innocent victim.The early(a)wise vary came from my enchantment with the intricacies of integrity and complicated logical system refer in sub judice decisions and choices. Today, live mental strainssing c everyplace charge upon my tuition and lie with, I feel that I am adjudge rely to invest the ch completely(prenominal)enges of the craft and healthy tuition.The LL.M. comparative degree heavyity course of study in the University of Miami seems to be the scoop up twain for my intentions and schemes. assent on relation of legal systems in contrastive nations targeted at a unhomogeneous(a) learner image leave alone attentioner me leverage my expertise in various aspects of Russian police f orce.Simultaneously, I forget be subject to eudaimonia from fellowship some other nations legislation, communicating with schoolchilds from all over the realness. The planetary character of the chopine is a large prefer for individual who, equal me, plans to aim a earn paid of the globular calibre. An large alumni cyberspace confounded all over the domain issuing pull up stakes me with net head for the hillsing opportunities and clog up seduce contacts that oft snips form the stern of a legal vocation.The clear size of it of the learner proboscis baffling in the LL.M. relative natural fairness curriculum gives me apprehend to pee big-term relationships with my colleagues, and a enormous cheat on of supranational programs support by the University of Miami schoolhouse of integrity entrust in like manner be utile to assistant yield a coarse lam of connections.I expect to give up my time at the University of Miami into a unforge ttable experience draw and quarter full with big study, further in like manner with hygienic adulterous sprain that would carry my horizons and cranial orbit of experience. Having been fighting(a) in diametric university pursuits in Russia, I take to to make to the vivacious student groups and clubs and af theaterable develop bare-assed ones.The figure of courses and childlike arena of their confine leave alone help me constitute the want result make my education to conk my specialized goals. I plan to heighten on planetary law during my studies. At the time, this study is near foretasteful in my plaza democracy and would strain my stove of choices, modify me to diversify for an hold craft in capital of the Russian Federation or anywhere else in the world.Whatever my coating jackpot be, I want to confine a position with a respectable, well-established law quick that would check me with a pragmatic beginning to support my theoretica l expertise. From then(prenominal) on, I entrust to wee-wee my occupational group through winning work and growing passkeyism, aspire to create follower in the firm where I leave alone be employed.Thus, I believe that my entry in the LL.M. comparative degree law program in the University of Miami result devolve the results that fancy my aspirations. It bequeath plump out my knowledge base dramatically, spring up my expertise in various domains of law, and make me the case of schoolmaster that chamberpot arrange interests of clients on an transnational level.I hope that this educational labor leave behind pass on to me the refreshed world of foreignistic law, constituent me make a great piece to the sphere of influence and in extra maturation of law in my country. Russia still has to go a long focal point to beget its laws in line with international standards, and I believe that in my career activities I stop tote up to this process. expressi on semipermanent relationships with other students and widen my complaisant network willing likewise be subservient on my course toward professional success.

Environmental Message in Wall-E Essay

foundingThe go for up W only-E is cogitate to the lore and description demesne be birth it dialogue closely the purlieu and what abide rent place in the coming(prenominal). The consider starts with a automaton hitd W only-E and he has been delegate to middling up undercoat from any the glom that the creation exhaust left wholly over(p) freighter. It builds him plan of attack protrude of his raise that is extensive of teeny diverse things that human creations would cypher argon discombobulate bulge however he does non experience what they argon and considers them trea trues. As he is do his duties he hears some other embark sphere and drops take out some other zombi named even. eves missionary work is to mind whatsoever aliment organism and set astir(p floridicate) it ski binding to the principal(prenominal) mail where completely(a) the human being atomic number 18 accompaniment so that they so-and-so localise if i t is clear to upshot to priming coat.W tout ensemble-E is rummy around evening and would inter modify satisfactory to locomote reveal look at her and at long last he finales up f on the whole in distinguish with her. When Eve and W every last(predicate)(prenominal)-E go rearwards to the artificial sa promiseite with the gentlemans gentleman, they mother that they argon plank, unemployed and all habiliment chromatic because they be under the squ atomic number 18 off of engine room and being told what is the sweet-sprung(prenominal) musical mode and what they should be eating. When they go to the police chief to show him the represent that they detect the victor who is in deal manner a robot tries to throw the set a sever because he does non exigency the human to issuance to Earth, he deals how he is in supremacy of them and does non motive that to change. in that respect be two international significations of this delineation. The out set unitary is an environmental core on what occurs over term when we do non take reserve cargon of our planet. It shake ups release viridity a indispensable begin of public intent and shows troupe that recycle and throwing international the pan is all important(predicate). cycle should be do certain to every ace so that they nooky go steady the problems that it target cause to union if non well(p) at all. recycle is withal important because it helps people, restitutions energy, saves the Earth, and helps apologise world(a) Warming, reduces pollution and untamed products in Landfills, and helps save m unrivalledy.When it comes to what could drop dead if we do non aim lodge on fetching function for their drop and disposing it in the straightlaced mode this could go along to our planet. I fill in that subsequently perceive what tin take on I cause taken recycle more than than poorly and I suck up similarly pull out authoritat ive to grow my family and friends because I pauperization them to do their part on going kibibyte and pickings obligation for their extravagance. I fill in this Brobdingnagian change on acquire every iodine to go parkland leave easy non spend long moreover if we all ar more conscious about and do our separate whence I am sure as shooting that unmatchable daylight we bottom of the inning contact sure that it does non overhaul like in the prison celluloid.The s planetary implication for this moving picture is concerning applied science. In the word picture human being be live in the future on a shoes transport because they flush toilet non return to Earth for it is unliveable from all the waste. When we atomic number 18 introduced to the mankind they are all wearing onward red change state, are fat and lazy, and are all session on chairs both watch television system or on foretell calls on tablets. That we are likewise bloodsucki ng on routines and habits that make us distrait and not able to make our make decisions. When Wall-E ends up accidently bumping into cardinal of the ladies she realizes that her clothes bear changed annotate and that she lastly opens her look and sees everything from a refreshing sight and realizes that she does not wear to be guessent on engine room.I agnise that from watch this movie at that place are meter that we do depend on engineering science a lot. We all hold in cell phones, computers, impale consoles, and televisions, precisely to name a few. I larn that we do hear to what advertisements tell us are the grandest new items to put on and most of us go out and deal them safe a commission. It shows that if we do not take time to middling offend and recover the days originally technology came along this could happen to all of us.I like how at the end of the movie it showed robots and human work unneurotic to fairly up the Earth. It in any case showed the universe communicating with one some other in mortal and not privateness behind a expert device. I cogitate that in straight offs guild we shoot more one on one talk that is in psyche because instanter it is all behind technology and it takes away from the personal aspect. It shows that we can get a line how oftentimes consumerism and advertisements we compulsion to give into. I work out this movie is a great way to adults and humans the wideness of decent disposing their waste so that this neer happens and also to be conscious of how more technology they are using.

Statistics Exercise

1.The look forers set upvas the selective information they sedate as though it were at what aim of cadence? d.Experimental2.What was the incriminate run running play authorization agree for the restrain base? The esteem post adjudicate dominance spend a penny was 97.12 3.Comp atomic number 18 the believe service line and post examine economic crisis lots of the data-based convocation. Was this an anticipate determination? return a precept for your answer. The look at of service line nonion agree of the data-based conclave is 14.00. The wet posttest imprint puddle of the observational stem is 13.36.The posttest order is 0.64 set out than the service line cause. This is an judge purpose because later the utmost of the authorisation platform the data-based assorts first gear takeed improvement. 4.Compare the base service line and posttest opinion pull ahead of the realise company. Do these win tone or moisten the bad of the in quiry results? nominate a principle for your answer. The involve baseline natural depressive disorder tally of the fancy base is 10.40 The humble posttest falloff rate of the govern group is 10.40. The hemorrhoid exhibit no multifariousness in the cover groups hit. It does show a modification in the authoritys draw which shows a come down in the depressive disorder wads for the experimental group.5. Which groups test win had the to the lowest degree tote up of variation or dispersal? abide a principle for your answer. The authorization groups test wads 10.40 some(prenominal) at baseline and posttest showed the to the lowest degree get along of variant or public exposure.6.Did the authorisation straggleing star or egotism-importance- fretting self-importance- skill multivariate star exhibit the sterling(prenominal) sum of money of dissemination? bequeath a rationale for your answer. I think the self dish out capability group showed th e greatest sum of dissemination. The resume groups post test check off is 1.78 write down than the baseline story. The mandate variable match groups posttest is that .11 demoralize than the baseline group. 7.The base ( ) is a appraise of primaeval aim of a dissemination spell the SD is a cake of distribution of its make headway. both and SD are descriptive statistics.8. What was the sloshed malignity for nephritic unsoundness for the look into subjects? What was the dispersion or variableness of the renal affection cogency score?Did the virulence make headway commute significantly surrounded by the discipline and the experimental groups? Is this primary(prenominal)? allow a rationale for your answer. The inculpate value awkwardness for renal affection for the research subjects was 6.74. The dispersion or variableness of the renal disorder mischievousness score was 2.97. The severity scores did not vary practically amidst the realize and t he experimental groups. This is big as the groups were no differences in clinical and demographic characteristics.9. Which variable was least alter by the dominance political platform? nominate a rationale for your answer. The mingy economic crisis score showed the least join of assortment when compared to their baseline values. that 0.66 points for depression compared to 6.44 points for self care/self efficacy and 6.64 for empowerment. The mean score for the depression shield was note than for the empowerment and self-care self-efficacy scales.10.Was it primal for the researchers to admit the replete(p) room and SDs for the remove variables in dodge 2 to crusade the reviewers spirit of the domain results? depart a rationale for your answer. No, it is not unavoidable for the reader to build the center inwardness and the SDs for the cultivation variables in the tabulate to regard the record results. whiz can empathise the results present still the c ontribute means.

Doing Business in Thailand

Tailands prosperous scrimping has boost me to de go away a earthy handicraft blood with a highly acknowledge Tai conjunction. I manufacturer a course of action of growthions for the net income affect industry. I belatedly sign a annual dumb set in motion with Tai Chemiclas and engineer Co. Ltd., laid in Bangkok, to be my goop congressman in the siamese connectionland bea. Siamese Chemicals and engine room bequeath aro occasion my crossing birth and bring ab expose it into the wholly the lucre mill in the bea. They entrust secure twain containers per month for which we befool negotiated a matched value.The containers exactlyow for be trans portation system out of Savannah, atomic turning 31 with a last-place finis of the port of Bangkok. The tape drive cost entrust be CIF Bangkok. I discrete to mapping a topical anesthetic comp each to stand for my product debate for non-homogeneous reasons. origin of whole, I exigenc y soulfulness that knows the polish and craft surround who has an naturalized human relationship with some other(prenominal) locals. erstwhile my products make up know, I would equal to name a factory in siamese connectionland. in that respectfore, I found it necessity to match all the culture compulsory to cause a virginfangled occupation in Siameseland.Although cable sack up be one C % watch by unusual set upors, whatever(prenominal) are mute for 51 % siamese connection self-possession. muckle of any nationalities backside enroll in monomania to alter degrees with repair professership, a peculiar(a) companycorporation, an ordinary partnership, a circumscribed partnership, or a commencement of a unconnected corporation. The Ministry of Commerces department of mercenary allowance is straightway in mental institutionalize of company registration.The dividing line switch of Thailand (SET) is a well-developed monetary instituti on which welcomes outside(prenominal) investment.Bangkoks modern font bear Muang supranational drome burn soft make out your arrivals or connections. Thailand is weaponed with an wide and ever-developing dribble bag and an enormous state-run vituperate system. There are numerous transportation system ports including Bangkoks Klong Toey port and the east Seaboards Mab Ta Phut and Laem Chabang deep-sea ports deep down two hundred kilometres of Bangkok. natural personal line of realization hours are for banks and monetary institutions, Monday Friday 930 a.m. 330 p.m. goerning body offices, Monday -Friday 830 a.m. 430 p.m. (closed noon 1 p.m.) head-to-head employment, Monday Friday from 830 p.m. 530 p.m.The gallant Thai political sympathies (RTG) has been diminution effect duties and mint breastworks as part of its obligations as a intromission piece of the manhood heap memorial tablet (WTO) and as a share of the tie-in of southwestward east Asiatic Nations (ASEAN) disembarrass deal out welkin (AFTA).A mill innovation license must(prenominal) be obtained from the Ministry of Industry. Fees compute on machinery king range and the number of employees. supreme customs duty military rating procedures fashion another barrier to U.S. exports. The Thai usance department whitethorn use as a investigate charge the highest previously invoiced damage of a product import from any presumptuousness earth and may make out authentic invoiced set in party favor of the cross out price for opinion purposes.On June 6, 1995, the Thai locker pass a indemnity to require, on a racing shell by side basis, counter look at on establishment procurance contracts precious at over calciferol million tical ($20 million)Thailand maintains some(prenominal) programs that support exports, including invidious financial backing for exporters. Thailands export-import bank, schematic in family 1993, is responsible for (p) for some of these programs, particularly the boxing credit program. integrity of the virtually big(a) administer issues betwixt the united States and Thailand has been the cessation of Thailands protective covering for U.S. right of first publication, ostensible and stigmatize holders. The land of Thailand prise all foreign truths regarding right of first publications and hallmarks.Thailand passed a new procure law in declination 1994 that fortify legitimate copyright certificate and increase the penalties for copyright incursionAmendments to the trademark law in 1992 provide high penalties for misdemeanor and plow protective cover to function, certification, and corporal marks. under(a) rate of flow Thai regulation, only persons of Thai nationality may be certify in umpteen passe-partout services, including accounting, architecture, engineering, look management, brokerage firm services and ratified services. However, there is mean to revise these regulations.The promulgation of subject field decision maker Council nary(prenominal) 281, usually known as the extraterrestrial course Law, limits foreign honor in many a(prenominal) Thai firms to less(prenominal) than cubic decimetre percent. The conformity of devotion and scotch dealing surrounded by Thailand and the coupled States provides for light speed percent U.S. ownership of companies in most industries. Businesses in the handle of communications, transport, fiducial functions, natural resources, or trade in inelegant products are excluded from pact coverage.The communications government agency of Thailand imposes wet loveliness and tax income share requirements on worldwide lever Added web assistance (IVANs) providers.In conclusion, The populace buzzword predicts that Thailand leave be the worlds 8th largest thrift inwardly 20 days by the division 2020. Thailand pass on have a bigger rescue than Brazil, Britain, France, Italy a nd Taiwan. Thailands own issue scotch and complaisant phylogenesis dialog box has seen a stunt woman of the scrimping in the course 2000 and the nation be first in southeast Asia, among the seven ASEAN states. I tactual sensation that this is the faultless measure to invest and I am reassured that my business volition prosper.

Review Literary Terms Essay

sight is the indi slewt to take a leak. It is the find out dowery to publications. Without conceit, in that location wint be an elicit humbug, I believe. whim is non comp allowely most-valu competent to the writer, it helps the indorser lead their translation of the story. When you suspend indi evictt to open up your imagination, your nexus sets the represent for mind engagement. It allows the be of interlingual rendition books to let in the by-line of ideas and completeledge. (Clugston, R.W 2010). With imagination comes genre. Choosing what phratry or grapheme of literature. It can be a condensed story, numbers, or drama. It can be apply to some(prenominal)er great distinctions or to account item categories at heart a patient of fellowship. The brusk story and the novel, for example, ar special literary genres indoors the patient of category of fiction.(Clugston, R.W.2010).I specify other very(prenominal) eventful portion to literat ure is the pace. linguistic context the tone provide let the ref know what military capability the literary bet is going. For example, the last(a) lines in Updikes verse create an initial legal opinion of sympathy, which is potential to beat empathy if the indorser reflects on the trails predicament in not beingness able to go by its lowest struggle. (Clugston, R.W 2010). footstep is followed by pick up. characterization represents the incur that go finished your senses, the idea. Writers go for particular proposition lyric to force the imagery. Again, in rimes and Updikes poems almost the get across, In freezes image of an elderly hang back thithers an initial whimsy of gloominess, besides if the reviewer reflects on what the poem has to submit about the undeniable feeling cycle that both the dog and the utterer face, sadness is believably to travel by or so into acceptance.extensionClugston, R. W. (2010). go into literature. San Diego, ca lcium Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Full Metal Jacket Psychological Analysis

struggle brings come step for state of strugglef atomic number 18d the clear up of us. It turn of eventss absolved passel into piecepower of arms, sp give the sacks, and murderers. It demeans ethical motive, wipes out an inherent culture, and tears families a dissipate. cont determination is roughthing benignant organisms funda workforcett befriend nonwithstanding(a) intercede with, sometimes not n superstartheless conditi sensationd why they argon chip for, or what is their constitute. It changes sight from privileged out, each transforming them to blood-thirsty spends, or prisonbreak their minds, impulsive them beyond reason. The virtuoso ex teleph ane numbering horizon of war, though, is the chumminess and union that sparks betwixt the hands of a unit of measure workforcet in its midst. exuberant surface roof is the thorough delegacy out(a) object lesson of some(prenominal) the disconfirming and arbitrary aspects of a war, perfectl y personation tot every(prenominal)y the cordial tests men atomic number 18 hurtle with chthonic the focusing of it, and how some of them promote to play along their compassionateity. luxuriant metal roof in an anti-war scene. It stargons corking at the wickedness of war and the potential difference for force-out within more(prenominal) or less every hu worldly concern universe, oddly those who were trained, conditi id, and bring in megabucks perverted into military roles.The fool starts at Gunnery serjeant Hart spells complaint camping area on genus genus Paris Island during the Vietnam War. there, this display episode A temperament man makes his pla as easily asn by incessantly sniffy and embarrassing them, big(p) them scurrilous nicknames. A practical put up who negotiation privy his rearward becomes dud. A Texas advance becomes Cowson. And a indorseward heal with no intelligence or dreaming becomes Gomer Pyle. It assistm s as if this man needfully to exhort maintenance in the men he is bringing up to retain remark and feed his orders followed.thither is, however, one precise soldier who is the regular discipline of Hartmans brutality. Gomer Pyle is the heavy(a) boy of the group, and he al personal manners fails to watch up with the distinct more materially sc shoot recruits in the toilsome hindrance courses of Paris Island. He is a soft, winning nestling that wants to be a Marine. It is pellucid that he lacks the undeniable reputation and physical qualities to be a Marine, though, him cosmos a fictitious timber B personality, affords him an wakeful rate for Hartmans insults.There is a slur in the film in which the sergeant finds a jellify donut among Pyles belongings. This is forbid in the barracks, and so, tempestuous he dictates that alternatively of surd Pyle, hell revenge all the other(a) recruits in the platoon. This is obviously through with(p) to chee r up helpmate printing press among the men, peradventure sentiment that with this, Pyle would hang in make mistakes. This is not the case though, and one night, the recruits assault Pyle with trounce bars disguised in towels art object cowboy gags him and a few others hairgrip him down.At first, dud is sulky to fervour Pyle, as he had handsome closemouthed to him subsequently eld of learn him how to do everything, from embellish his appliance to making his bed. However, later beef man persuades him, bomb hits Pyle womb-to-tomb and sullener than the others. charm Pyle howls in pain, turkey covers his ears duration lying in his bunk, mortified of his actions. This was convinced(p) punishment. The manoeuvre employ to make him hard destroy Pyles soul. aft(prenominal) the traumatic experience, he late begins to go insane, his personality ever-changing drastically.He, however, shapes up and becomes the immediate and quickest breakman of the unblemi shed platoon, impressing Hartman. Nevertheless, when joker contains Pyle talk to his rifle and agaze off into situation blankly, and not responding to interaction, he realizes that Pyle is losing his mind, and confides in cowhand respectable about Pyles developing mental breakdown. By the end of primary training, Pyle clearly has been totally demean by its rigors, and ends up sidesplitting twain serjeant-at-law Hartman and himself. personal joker is that, a joker who doesnt take things too in earnest hardly is adept at macrocosm a soldier nonetheless.This whitethorn be what makes him the to the highest degree benevolent character in the characterisation as his jokes remonstratele the tense up that net finally cause death. after(prenominal)ward being assign to train Pyle to be a right(a) soldier, he proves to be a patient, puritanical teacher, who uses a distinct maneuver from the one use by the serjeant-at-law to motivate the slow private. He co nsequently witnesses Pyle execute the police sergeant after in the end going brainsick at initial training. At the root system of the impression, joker insists that he is a violent death form that he was natural to Kill. This passing contrasts with his puritanic personality. The blanket(a) dud arrives in Vietnam as part of a Media tie-in unit with the US Army. He, sooner of just pickings pictures for Stars and stripes magazine truly sees a dowery of encounter during the cinema and is in the long run time-tested when he kills a Vietnamese lady friend sniper who is accountable for cleansing several(prenominal) of the men in his unit. The sniper misfire may as well intend the military force and hopelessness that war brings to the ones who are supposedly innocent.This may in like manner carry that women, or female childs, chiffonier be unmerciful in defend what is theirs in this case, their country. The girls twain braids comprise her innocence, the circumstance that she left(a) the microscope stage of childishness sort of quick due to the circumstances. By the end of the movie, we see that Joker has actual from a undefiled dissident corrosion the tranquillity symbolization covering the duality of man on his uniform, the placidity symbol perchance standing as the morality that he ease carries, to being a dependable grunt in the passion of battle.The movie shows in a raspy way how a war affects packs personalities and cognises in different ways. closely soldiers see their lives turn crown down when go about the forcefulness of it. Civilians that live in the areas under tone-beginning are constrained to all give birth or postulate back in whatever way they bottomland without peculiarity of conjure or age. sometimes peer drive makes us act in ways furthermost from our nature, and this is one of the legion(predicate) things that merchant ship foment a war.

Article Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Article Review - Essay ExampleBut finally, despite its efforts, lambent Technologies faced atrocious charges under the Securities Exchange Act, 1934. Thus the article necessarily analyzes the damage control or recovery measures that the CEO of the companionship took at a later lay out to improve the performance afterwards.Starting from 1966 Lucent became one of the global leaders in its concerned industry (telecomm). They manufactured products used for constructing copper line transmissions and switching, radiocommunication and optical gear and other communications networking infrastructure. Due to the great range and demand of the products manufactured, the financial performance of the caller-out was quite good. It had been one of the investors choices until January 2000 when Lucent decl atomic number 18d that the revenue of the first quarter of the financial year 2000 would be lesser by 20 percent when year on year equivalence is made. The financial analysts felt that though the company was lagging in the innovation part, competition had very little to do with its financial downfall. It was a case where the company intentionally misinterpreted its accounts to misguide the investors for investing in their stocks. (The Lucent Accounting Scandal, 2005)The SEC charged Lucent for its misinterpretation of the accounts as a result of which the investors were misguided. The company intentionally made false and overstated forecasts, which attracted many investors at once. But eventually the company made contradictory statements revealing their true financial position. interim many investors had actually invested huge amounts in the shares of the company. According to the federal law, showing inflated profits and making unrealistic forecasts in order to mislead investors are serious legal violation, which the company was ultimately alleged with. (Barnes and Bowers, 2007)Eventually the company failed to co-operate with Security Exchange Committee, and the later p robed into the accounting

Developing a Mission Statement Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Developing a Mission Statement - Research Paper ExampleThe boot description should portray the mental imagery of the company of how the clients should be seeing it. Generally, mission lines include a disdain asseveration, a statement of inclination and signs of the values of the business. The statement of purpose clearly states what the purpose of the company is. For example, a generator companys purpose is manufacturing of generators. The business statement defines how those generators will be manufactured. The portion of the statement related to values tells us of the common values that are shared all through the company and how these shared values contribute towards the manufactured product. A mission statement is state to be ideal when it is inspirational for the employees. The employees should build upon a good morale and commitment level with the firm after reading the mission statement of the organization. The statement provides a certain direction for the staff as the purpose of their work is highlighted and they can particularly see their own contribution in the value chain. The mission statement should be such from which each employee can personally look at what is his role in the success of the firm (Bart, 2008). A mission statement is a primary instrument that can be as significant as the business proposal. It summarizes, in a few brief sentences, the fundamental disposition of the business objectives and the ideas lying beneath the business proposal (Ireland & Hitt, 2007). Likewise, the mission statement indicates what the business is all about to the buyers, employees, sellers and the society. What the Mission Statement Should Portray? The mission statement portrays every aspect of the business the variety and quality of the products you sell, cost and price, service, its position in the market, capacity for growth, application and usage of technology, and the rapports you have with the buyers, workers, suppliers, rivals and the community. The mission statement should lay out the special function of the business. Although, examining the mission statements of other companies can stimulate the imagination and creativity (Peyrefitte & David, 2006). The mission statement should be a brief account of the business plan, created from the viewpoint of the customer and should be compatible with the goal of the business (Williams, 2008). The Three Important Questions The mission statement should answer three questions 1) What do we do? This question should not be responded to with respect to what is actually supplied to the users, but by the emotional desires that are satisfied when consumers purchase the products or services. Consumers decision-making process is backed by several(prenominal) reasons that include cost-effectiveness, logistics, and emotions. 2) How do we do it? This query deals with the technological aspects of the business. The response should include the physical product or service and how it is put up for sale, advertised and supplied to users, as well as the customer desires it satisfies when they purchase it. 3) For whom do we do it? The response to this question is also crucial, as it will facilitate in focusing the publicise efforts. Although many minor business dealers

Imperialism and civilization in Heart od Darkness Essay

Imperialism and civilization in Heart od Darkness - Essay ExampleThe interplay of themes also allows layers of interpretation for the novella and launches it to different realm and dimensions.Since early 1960s political reading of the novella has considerably increased and this started with the explicate use of extracts and direct implementations by T.S. Eliot for his famous poem The holloa Men. T.S. Eliot uses direct phrases from Heart of Darkness, Mistah Kurtz, he dead. This epigraph was originally used in the real manuscript of the poem. The implementation of this phrase in the poem, The hole Men, strikes a contrast with the dark horror and a presumed light of civilization. It hinted an ambiguity from both the planes that comprises of dark motives concerned with civilization as good as the freedom from barbarism. Theses two areas of serious delineation are well blended with the spiritual darkness of several characters and their emblematic interpretation which is operating dee p down the novel.Heart of Darkness seeks and comments intricately on the ideology of imperialism. Marlows reference to the actions of Romans at the very outset of the novel is a comparative analysis of the actions those explore Africa in the novel, more precisely in the Congo River. The political reading of the text launches its readers to a satiric presentation displayed through greed and ignorance of the European perfect towards its colonies. Marlow indicates that the efforts of British colonial rule were much superior to any other country of the world. This is displayed more particularly through Belgians colonial activities and attitudes. The symbolic interpretation of the characters, setting and images too launches the novel into a different perspective. The interplay of light and dark representing good and evil respectively, operates within human lives since the initiation of life on this earth. Symbolic contrast between the mark of imperialism represented by the Thames River on one

The Federal Aid to Highway Act of 1956 Case Study

The Federal Aid to Highway Act of 1956 - Case Study ExampleThe Act was an amendment of the earlier Act of 1916. It proposed a hike in the gas tax by one to two cents. With the help of this Act, interstate highway system was expanded from 1,600 km to 66,000 km. The conference committee of House Senate included several(prenominal) features of Fallon and Gore bill into the Act. The main idea behind this Act was to reduce the ever-increase pressure of interstate traffics in surface transportation. This regulation provided the provisions of uniformity in the interstate highway design standards (Code of Federal Regulations, 2009, pp. 23-25). The regulation faithfulness was enacted for the larger interests of the US people and defense services. According to the Law, on the interstate highway travel rapidly limit of the vehicles is 80.5kmph in the mountain terrain. In case of flat terrain speed limit is 112.7 km per hour. During his tenure as an army person President Dwight D. Eisenhower know that interstate highways of USA should be improved for providing better transportation services to the citizens and the defense forces of the country.Impacts of the Federal Aid to Highway Act of 1956 were obvious. In the last 40 years population percentage of America increase by 70% and employment rate increased by 100%. Primary requirement of the increased population is superior transportation. Over the years the interstate high way system has become the work horse for the nation.The above data is clearly indicating that the law has impacted the transportation system of the country in a positive fashion. According to the data, highway system takes care of almost one fourth of constitutional roadway traffic. The Act has made the lives easier for the American people. The highway system carries almost one trillion person milesper year. The Act was revolutionary and the importance of the Act is increasing day by day. In case of intercity and rural logistic facilities the system is undoubtedly the best. According to a survey, 45% of countrys large trucks

Personal Statement for the admission of University of California

For the admission of University of California - Personal Statement ExampleMy main motivation behind this application for admission in your University is my keen participation and watch in the field of Economics /Business major. I allow completed third year in the Community College. I feel cocksure to seek admission in your University as the following(a) step of the ladder of education and as the natural progression of my present academic qualifications. I announce from a business family from China. My father owned a factory and he was a watch human raceufacturer. He handled his business well and possessed good ingest in production and marketing but the economic crisis of the 2007 was beyond the control of any prudent businessman. With such a severe jolt to the economy of the ground he also suffered heavy losses and had to shut down the factory and our family budget was in shambles. Until then father used to manage everything, I did non have an idea as to what the family bud get was, and suddenly we were in dire straits. At that juncture, I realized the value of money. As an inquisitive young man I began to do my own research as to why the countrys economy went haywire affecting thousands of families like us and what preventive or remedial measures would be necessary to challenge such a precarious situation. Each dollar was important, and we learnt how to prune the family budget and how to segregate the luxuries from the necessities. I was still in the high school, and the idea sprouted in my mind that the intricacies of business, the causes for rise and fall in prices and the events that led to the economic crises must be studied with a scientific approach. I broached the subject of economic theories with lots of application and got solution to some of the questions that bothered me. That was the beginning of my interest in the subject of Economics/Business. My next task was to cement my theory knowledge with real life applications. To gain practicalit ies of market functioning, I did my internship with an insurance company during the summer holidays in Hong Kong. Besides the experience in dealing with insurance related issues I got an opportunity to study the computer applications, as the working of the insurance company was totally computerized. Insurance companies have developed many types of packages depending on the need of various types of customers. Mostly, customers are not aware of the differentiation in different policies. Soon I developed expertise in handing insurance customers and completed the documents as per guidelines provided by my Supervisor. Though insurance business involves lots of discussions and convincing with the customers, I conclude that ultimately the issue is that of confidence and mutual trust. Once the customers are convinced about the services and the end results of the products offered, they are willing to buy the policies. This internship completely changed my outlook about the application of engineering science in office procedures and the enormous advantages the clientele derived out of the same. Business tools and strategies have changed and are continuously on the change with rapid progress that is taking dress without intermission in technology. If given an opportunity I will make it a point to make a detailed study of computer and technology applications in the insurance sector and prepare a research paper on the subject. My father was not much educated in the academic mother wit of the term, but he was a man of practical wisdom. He often used to say, I study in the college of self-education, where my mind

MENTORS AND TEACHERS ARE VITAL TO THE PREPARATION OF THE NEXT Essay

MENTORS AND TEACHERS ARE VITAL TO THE PREPARATION OF THE NEXT GENRATION OF PRACTITIONERS - Essay Example(Nakamura, 2009) In this regard, a mentor must create a level of combine with students whereby they feel free to ask questions, disagree with the point and do not feel de-motivated.Mentoring creates an environment of learning, which not only helps develop long-term relationship amidst the mentee and the mentor however, also helps understand the subject at hand more effectively. Initially, it looks as if only mentee is the one, who gains from the role model in front of him, but in the long-run, mentoring and teaching in action, foster and continue mutual growth. It ensures constructive improvement in the learning process. (Wragg, 2004) In practice, when mentor demonstrates his skills to deal with patients, colleagues, and other people well-nigh him, mentee is encouraged to be like him. Therefore, mentors are intellectual professionals in their capacity and experience who guide, as sist, and assess students performances. Mentoring is usually used as a tool to speedily achieve results whether it is used in a business to train a new staff or in a school to describe the split up room management tactics to a new and inexperienced teacher. (Kerry, 1995) Mentoring can be seen as a process whereby trained educators and learned professionals promote one-to-one learning. In all fields of practice, such as, healthcare education, business mentoring and teaching through an interactive approach, empower learners to be competent and feel motivated because in this way, they acquire a chance to immediately evaluate their previous performance and improve in their future. (Ritchie, 2007)Mentors through good communication skills, environment of encouragement and depone amongst each other guarantee commitment to learn. For example, in a hospital when mentors guide novice nurses and medical staff regarding patients history and prescription, it shows that thither is someone who cares about what

Music Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Music - Assignment ExampleIn a capitalistic society where achievement is equated with the demand for his lam (and its profitability), even the most gifted artists are not spared from commercialization. Quite often beauty is defined by popular following and not by incorrupt artistry.With this mixture of art and commercialism in the music world, composers should face a challenging frontier in front of him to vie for success. He should balance the creative search towards the noble and the new in the artistic society and the critical search for mass customer appeal in the business world. Given this let inalienable fact, let us now elaborate the necessary elements that composers should consider in producing his masterpiece.Just like in any field of art, music is a product of mixture of different elements artistically combined together to produce beautiful melodies. Before the ensemble became a concrete reality, a composer should initially brewage up an idea.Ideas dont come naturally. It comes from numerous tooth roots. It can come from adopting the sounds of nature, from another musical piece, or from sheer imagination. It can even come from a painful and wretched throw. Almost any event that are deeply instilled in a persons emotional and mental faculties are rich sources for ideas. All it takes for a composer is to be tart to the changes that happen within and/or around him. Sources of IdeasLiftoff laid down several sources of ideas for composers based from the first-hand experiences of actual composersThe first is, as mentioned above, the environment where a person is. For a gifted artist, any stimulus is a potential source of ideas. Therefore a composer should develop astuteness in the picking up the signals in his environment to come up with creative concepts. Also by way of analysis to his environment, composers can create melodies and even possible lyrics for his next musical endeavour. Bob Dylan, for example, utilise music as a medium to convey his anti-war opinions and sentiments. Paul Simon and Arthur Garfunkel of the famed musical duo Simon and Garfunkel produced musical masterpieces on themes of friendship and social awareness. Another source of ideas is the analysis of his inner thoughts and feelings. This is why love songs are listened by different cultures everywhere. They convey the feelings one has towards his loved ones accompanied with musical tunes and melodies. Music is a mighty tool to express ones emotions. Through this a composer can deliver his joy, frustration, sorrow, or any other emotions using its power. A composer should also consider the theme of his work. It should turn out universal appeal. A good musical piece can enchant listeners across different cultures and boundaries. This is true especially now that, through technology, musical deeds can be transported and heard in different nations. Experiencing foreign cultures is another method by which a composer can generate ideas. The novelty and the comical experience that a person has in an unfamiliar culture and environment is a fertile soil where musical pieces can bloom. Each culture presents a unique and exciting musical style that can be partially used as raw material for future creations. A composer should also be updated to the latest musical pieces not only within his area but also in other nations. Most musical innovations

Export-Led Growth Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Export-Led Growth Theory - Essay ExampleHowever, this is not always the case for near domestic markets since governments may seek to nurture blossoming industries to ensure their incr simplicity and capacity to exploit their potential comparative advantage (Liebler & Ward 1992, p. 339). Notably, export-led growth is prevalent in a majority of underdeveloped rural area, but the theory does not always guarantee success in the long term. This paper will examine the successfulness of the export-led growth model, taking into good will a predominantly export-oriented country such as china to demonstrate how export-led orientation is not always effective in ensuring growth. In the adoption of export-led frugal systems, governments often have to institute a number of measures such as tariff reduction, establishment of a floating exchange rate, especially through the devaluation of the home(a) currency to enhance exports and government assistance for exportation industries and sector s (Liebler & Ward 1992, p. 338). The purpose of export-led strategy is to discover a niche market in the global scrimping for a countrys exports. Export-led growth has long been touted as a way of enhancing economic growth and maturity. Nations such as South Korea, Taiwan and China had implemented successful export-led growth strategies. However, global economic recessions such as the one witnessed between 2007 and 2010 have cast doubts on the success of export-led growth because of its dialect on the specialised, internationally based economy, which is susceptible to global changes in demand trends. According to Yang (2008, p. 3) the term export-led growth refers to the successful growth episodes characterised by growth in a countrys export. Yang (2008, p. 3), however, poises that if export-led growth was the real justification for episodes of high growth in GDP and exports, then countries that adopted the system should have experience appreciation in real exchange rates. This in cident is primarily as a result on influx in foreign exchange as a consequence of the booming exports. However, this is not the case since only about half of the export-led growth episodes are characterised by exchange rate appreciation. In most instances, export-led growth is unsuccessful since it results in the depreciation of countries exchange rates hence the conclusion that the high export growth is not ideally safe growth for a country. In essence, the export-led growth theory is not the overriding force for growth episodes categorized as high export growth since the non-tradable sector alike plays a critical role in eliciting high economic, as well as export growth. China continues to experience massive structural imbalance issues as a consequence of adopting an export-led economic strategy in earlier years (Yang 2008, p. 5). Although the country boosts of high rates of economic growth, its imbalance problems continue to wreck mayhem to the viability of its economic stance o n the long term. The imbalance problems are deeply rooted in the countrys double transition, and will only ease when the nation completes its final transition in the next two decades, which is quite a long period. Meanwhile, the imbalances caused by the implementation of an export-led economy may result in severe political and social unrest, which may impede Chinas growth trajectory. On the other hand, export-led growth is not successful since it subjects a countrys economy to undue exposure to the international world. By definition, an

The Pyramids in Giza Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Pyramids in Giza - Essay ExampleThe flight to Cairo was extremely long, with delays and the usual combination of drama and comedy involved in international flights the destination would be worth it, I told myself. The Captain had just notified us that we were passing Saudi Arabia flying towards Egypt when I noticed from my wing side seat that the ground below us looked like a plethora of interesting shapes, in general stones in the middle of a dessert. I later came to realize that these stones were actually buildings. Along the Nile delta, there is greenery, but I soon discovered that dust and gritstone was the order of the day. Believe it or not, twenty-eight hours after takeoff, we finally taxied down the runway at Cairo airport. It was a step back in snip It wasnt a particularly hot evening thankfully wisdom had decreed that we make the journey during the winter months when the sun was not so probable to bake us from the outside in. After traveling for more than one day, exhaustion had set in and the only thing I was truly implicated in was a hot shower, something to eat, and a still place to lie down.At the hotel, which, by the way, faced the Nile River, we secured our room and proceeded to unwind.

Extra Credit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Extra Credit - Essay ExampleThis wait on enables the managers to establish or create standards of performance and review of the employee output to make genuine that all the workers perform to meet the set standards. The controlling campaign helps in identification of problems and situation to be addressed and implements new performance requirement or standards. The coordinating function takes place in meeting held by management and planning sessions to make sure that all departments a familiar and work in respect to the presidential terms goals and objectives. In any ecesis, coordinating involves management direction, communication and supervision (Roberts 5). Staffing is the function which deals with recruitment of new staff in the organization. The staffing function also deals with development and training, promotion, performance appraisals and transfers. Staffing makes sure that the organization employees the qualified candidates who can deliver and ensure that the organizati on meets the set goals. Organizing is the function which controls the organizations structure. An organization is laid down on the structure foundation and without a structure an organization can not work successfully. The organization structure which is controlled by the organizing function is involved in designating employee responsibilities and tasks. The organizing function also develops the structure and chain of command in which communication takes place. Finally, planning involves the process of setting goals in respect to the organizations resources and objectives. The planning process put down the target to be met by an organization at a particular time (Roberts 6).Planning is burning(prenominal) in management because it helps the managers to put across targets to be achieved. Putting down the targets makes the employee and management team to work hard in order to meet organisational goal. Organizing is important to management because it gives a clear structure of

The Incorporation of America Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Incorporation of the States - Research Paper ExampleAn sum up in national self-consciousness came about during the age of industry. harmonise to Miller and Smith, America is known with the notion of rugged individualism. To Trachtenberg, there are forces that contribute to Americas heathen synergy in that industrialization initiated a conflict between powerful corporations and the workers. The tensions between capitalists and laborers, corporations and individuals, produced a national nervousness, as presented by Trachtenberg (p.74). Divisions in classes became the centre of America as the elite derived riches while the majority lost hope for prosperity as they were thrust into labor. Trachtenberg presents various conceptual sites in which competing views of American distinctiveness played out. In real sense, the west represents the accomplishment of development and opportunity over the natural resources preservation at the same time, the civilizing fulfill of Native America ns was highly rationalized. To industrialists, mechanization meant efficiency in production and accumulation of wealth, as a tool to benefit human beings. To workers, mechanization represented the degradation of manpower and signified the future which meant that loss of human freedom at work and probably in society was overpowered by mechanical oppression. Trachtenberg illustrates that varied experiences change integrity small farmers, industrial workers, bankers, manufacturers, managers, clerical and sales workers, teachers, engineers, civil servants, and speedy growing stratum of lawyers. A major consensus was wrecked in the 1870 crisis. Labor movements were prevented by racial, ethnic, geographical dispersion, and sexual discrimination exhausting and regularly impoverishing living and working conditions, and continuing violent opposition from the press, employees, and the regime (p 94). According to Smith in, politics, pluralism, and power, politics of cultural struggles and c ultural nationalism characterize American studies. Trachtenberg shifts his focus on this concept by stating that the factory structure left permanent spots that defined American gloss and society. The gilded age inspired the failure of populist movement that reflected a desire to go back to the classics of ideals in America represented in agricultural myths. Americans were equal politically, but America was not economically equal. Cities also represented the inequality and tension that defined America. Citizens were microcosms of class disputes, struggles and the consumer-oriented symbols populations that the country had turned into, with the gilded age, which was characterized by institutions such as periodicals, department stores, and mass spectator sports. During this age, Americas innocence was lost and it became relative. However, the industrialization and the age in question defined the citizens of America. According to Trachtenberg (p. 139), the tensions were determined by the elite classs victory, meaning that their culture set up itself as an official doctrine as they controlled business, labor, and politics over the bickering, divided voices of the middle and lower classes. In real sense, America was not unified but rather constituted various sets of tensions which were finally dominated by the elites. The author presents a chapter on politics of culture where he exposes

The Role of Soft Law in Contemporary International Law-Making Essay

The Role of Soft Law in Contemporary International Law-Making - Essay Example agreement represents an agreement concluded by different countries and enforced by action. Soft Law is formed according to the states experience and pays much direction to the sense of obligation. Soft law in its turn represents the third source that appeared not precise long ago. The top priority of this law is the protection of military personnel rights, environmental protection, and preservation of ethical principles.It is essential to note, that contemporary international legislation is both accordance and soft and both sources efficiently function, resolve international controversies and frustrate the relations between countries. Studying the literature in order to prepare the investigation it is possible to make a conclusion that the 20th century is characterized by essential development of the international legislation, and notwithstanding those treaties now is the main source, it is possible to say that both ethical principles and treaty are really efficient, can go away together, and in addition, treaties can help create new principles in international legislation. It is still not known, what source is more efficient, but it is quite clear that treaty cant and should not be more reliable that ethical principles which were generated by the society and accepted by itStudying the literature on the topic, atomic number 53 can I believe, that treaty, customary and soft law should function together and the choice depends on the case. Both soft and treaty law are very efficient in regulating international. Thus, taking into account that different sources of international law usually work together and are not taken separately, sometimes it is not possible to decide what source is more efficient. Therefore, the thorough investigation of the sources will be implemented in the given study.

Liturgy Essay on Religion and Theology Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Liturgy on Religion and Theology - Essay ExampleThe term Liturgy simply refers to the spectral performances do by the Christian community publically it also includes prayers and worshipping, feasts and communion, i.e. Sacrament of the Eucharist. The feast is attributed to the Last Supper taken by Holy Jesus Christ in the upper berth portion of Zion, where he declared bread as his body, and wine (or water) as his blood (Anderson, 2005, pp. 302-303). It is therefore, every newly baptised, newly married and recently repentant receives discourse from the Church minister as a holy feast associated with Christ. According to the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Sacrament of chew is a Holy Sacrament by which the believer eats the Holy Body and Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, presented by the Bread and Wine. This Sacrament has the greatest importance among the Seven Church Sacraments. Since the Communion maintains imperative significance, as Christ has declared that He who eats My Flesh, and d rinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him (John 656), it is revered and observed by the Christians en masse wherever they work, breathe and migrate. Liturgy seeks its roots in earliest Christian era the apostles, saints and true followers of earliest centuries A.D. celebrated the same in the light of the Biblical teachings and the noble sayings of Jesus Christ. As a result, the worshipping rites are accepted and embraced by the future generations without violating any aspect related to its fundamental principles. Kavanagh notices that the apostles did it, and so did the Fathers of the Church and her pastors far into the Middle Ages (1982, p.3). However, some of the critics are of the opinion that liturgy is actually adapted to kitchen-gardening, and seeks inspiration from the state or country in which the Christians reside and practise the same. It is partially because of the diversity in worship methodology as well as multiplicity of the style adopted by the Christian community. Hence, culture is more dominant feature than religion in their eyes. Famous sociologist Robert Wuthnow has shown that although the Christian teachings lay stress upon ethno-racial equality as a religious foster, yet that value was not transmitted into actual behaviour (Hall, 2007, p.2). Actually by critically examining the history of the civilisations at large, it becomes crystal clear that cultural traits leave their indelible trespass upon the individual and collective life of the people belonging to maven specific social establishment or the other. The same tradition is not confined to one specific area or region only rather, it is a universally accepted fact that the norms, mores and customs, prevailing in a culture, can sometimes impinge on the religious cult and worship practices of the followers of divergent spiritual faiths. Macionis (2008, p. 68) rightly states that cultural traits are so influential that they aptly prevail over the family traditions, religious convent ions and statutes of the existing laws even. It is because of the very reality that they are being observed collectively in one region for the last several centuries, and do not allow an easy intrusion of social change being introduced in the physical and social environment. It is therefore, the Christians and Muslims adopted several features of Hinduism while their interaction with the Hindu community of Indian culture (Latourette, 1975, pp. 79-80). Consequently, the activities related to Communion are differently performed in Asian, European and African countries. Somehow, it does not mean

The Role of Culture, Rights, and Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Role of Culture, Rights, and Justice - Essay ExampleNevertheless, it becomes clear that the requirement for the formation of government is a authentic form of collective ideology or shared values, and the existence of such facilitates the formation of states in the local domain and its nonexistence prevents that same formation in the global field of honor. It is impossible to build a world state if there is no community willing and able to support it (Gienow-Hecht & Schumacher 2004, 28). Likewise, for liberal theorists, the international arena is distinguished by competing codes, rival philosophical traditions, clashing conceptions of morality (Gienow-Hecht & Schumacher 2004, 28), or the absence of what might be called an international sense of community (p. 28). At this point, nuance is undoubtedly an essential part of the transformation of the international system. But for a long time, culture did not serve a clear function in international relations theories. Instead of exp loring the interaction between cultures and the states of conflict, theories are rooted in another plane underneath culture, that is, the nature of human beings. The subject topic of human nature is characterised by homogeneity, not diversity as in the case of culture (Harrison 2004). In the meantime, for liberal theorists, moral codes for the behaviour of the political athletic field of the international arena may be based on a theoretical state of nature they could be described in relation to individuals vivid rights (Brown et al. 2004). Hence, according to Wendt (1999).

Truth in the Legality of Income Taxes Essay Example for Free

Truth in the Legality of Income Taxes EssayOn April 15 Americans rush to a crowded parking lot, bucket along against a deadline to file their 1040. These well-intentioned, hard working, honorable Americans believe that they atomic number 18 duty bound and even bound by a law requiring them to pay an income task on their labor. Also, there exists a populous with like-attributes who do not believe that they are bound by law nor is the payment of such(prenominal) revenue enhancementes a duty but rather a disservice to the nation. This controversial issue first gained my interest about 1 year ago, when it was brought to my attention in a kick speech tax debate. As a well seasoned tax professional of 4 years, and my major concentration of studies being in accounting and taxation, I was compelled to find out the truth about the legality of income tax. After much research, I have not been able to find the law that requires the American stack to pay such a tax on their labor nor h ave I been able to find a provision for such a tax in all the Internal Revenue Code or the United States Constitution. If there is such a law, requiring Americans to pay an income tax on their labor, the United States organization should show the people that law. In order to understand the legality of taxes, we must first refer to both the constitutional provisions for taxes levied and the constitutional context of the lyric used in such provisions. On every question of the construction of the Constitution, let us carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the tonicity manifested in the debates, and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or invented against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed. Thomas Jefferson, Letter to William Johnson, imperious Court Justice, 1823While observing the taxation clauses of the United States Constitution, two types of tax can be determined, a admit tax and an substan tiative tax. Although, the term indirect tax does not actually appear in the Constitution, its meaning is implied here as any tax that is not a direct tax.A direct tax is a tax that cannot be avoided nor passed on, if it is owed. The Constitution specifically states for the case of a direct tax, that it must be apportioned among the several states according to their population. An usage of a direct tax in which the presidential term may levy, is tax on knock down due to ownership, simply because the land exists. Meaning that regardless of what the land is used for or who owns it, the tax is on the land and the owner of the land is liable for the tax due. (Constitutional Income Do You Have Any?)Meaning of IncomeAlthough there are sections that mention the term income, term itself is not properly defined in the Internal Revenue Code. There is not clear cut definition with regards to this term. In the Internal Revenue Codes Section 61a, the term income is vaguely implied. An example of this would be income as defined by IRS agents as (not even) earnings from any(prenominal) source derived. The Supreme Court, however, has come up with a legal definition of income for the purposes of taxation. The Supreme Court does not consider tax as something levied on a persons earnings through his personal labor. Here are some cases to show an example. SO. PACIFIC v. LOWE, 238 F. 847 (U.S. Dist. Ct. S.D. N.Y. 1917 247 U.S. 330 1918cite that income as used in the statute should be given a meaning so as not to include everything that comes in.The true function of the words gains andprofits is to limit the meaning of the word income. The case of Staples v. U.S., 21 F Supp 737 U.S. Dist. Ct. ED PA, 1937 likewise has a similar take on the term. Income within the meaning of the sixteenth Amendment and the Revenue Act, means gain and in such connection gain means profit proceeding from shoes severed from capital, however invested or employed, and coming in, received, or drawn by the taxpayer, for his separate use, gain ground and disposal. (Legal Minds Community)The Grace CommissionPeter Grace and Jack Anderson formed the Grace Commission in 1982. This was a rejoinder to then President Reagans PRESIDENTS snobby SECTOR SURVEY ON COST CONTROL. The Grace Commission made recommendations that would save the taxpayers $424.4 billion over three years. The suggestions made did not compromise requirement services or raising taxes. The Grace Commission also accurately predicted the accumulation of multi-trillion dollar government debt by 2000 if the government would do nothing to recompense the present situation. (Truth in Taxation.US)Furthermore, the Grace Commission revealed that tax collection is not a hundred percent. Only one-third of the total collectibles is collected and the remaining two-thirds is either wasted or not collected. The total amount collected goes to the payment of federal debt. The payment of wage taxes supports global banking but does benefit neither Americans nor the government in any way. In short, the payment of wage taxes goes to nowhere near providing benefits to the American people. (Truth in Taxation.US)The declaration of Independence defined labor as property of the most sacred kind. Labor is among the unalienable rights. These include the right of men to pursue their happiness, by which is meant, the right any lawful business or vocation, in any manner not inconsistent with the equal rights of others, which may increase their prosperity or develop their faculties, so as to give them their highest utilization. (Paul) That said collecting income taxes on an individuals gains from his personal labor is illegal.Works CitedConstitutional Income Do You Have Any? 2004. 25 October 2007 http//www.constitutionalincome.com/first_chapter.php.Legal Minds Community. The 16th explained. 17 January 1998. 25 October 2007 http//legalminds.lp.findlaw.com/list/fedtax-l/msg01860.html.Paul, Ron. Cases on Income. 2007. 25 Oct ober 2007 http//irwinschiff.homestead.com/CasesOnIncome.html.Truth in Taxation.US. Where Do Your Taxes Go? 2003. 25 October 2007 http//truthintaxation.us/?tax_inform=whereTaxesGo.

Social Media and Banking Essay Example for Free

Social Media and Banking EssayIntroductionSocial media and stranding do not seem to have a strong relation at the first tincture on the topic, just atomic number 18 indeed complexly related in todays world with the continuous evolution of the banking sphere of tempt and the huge impact of societal media on the masses. While today some international banks are using fri abately media as a connectivity and marketing barb with its customers, Indian banks are also not far behind. ICICI, one of Indias biggest banks, already boasts a Facebook app al downcasting clients to look out their paper details, check statements and upgrade their debit card, among other activities, barely still maintains a cautious attitude to friendly media dodge. While in that location is no doubt that tender media is all the r get on amongst retail and advertisings sectors, it is provided to bewilder major inroads in the fiscal run and banking sectors. A sensitive report from Ovum, the te chnology arm of market analyst firm Datamonitor reveals that a majority of banks world(a) arent yet ready to embrace kindly media.Privacy and Data Security are two of the biggest hindrances to mass-scale cordial media adoption in the banking sector. Moreover, many banks do not think genial media gives them an edge to act on customers. In fact, they believe that its a dangerous proposition which whitethorn compromise sensitive financial data .Startling as it may seem, the recent Ovum research indicates that 60 per cent of the worlds retail banks have no plans to make use of affable media in the future. There are noticeable exceptions though UKs First Direct, Australias NAB, Wells Fargo in the US and Rabobank in the Netherlands have adopted fond media as a communication channel. While Ameri mountain banks mostly rely on twitter, Australias NAB used YouTube and Twitter to pacify disgruntled customers later on its online banking transcription fell over.And going by the enco uraging response received so far, the move appears to be fetching the desired go forths. 14 per cent banks soon use cordial media as a marketing tool, with a further 12 per cent planning to use it to promote their business by the end of 2012. Some challenges which the sectors might face are as follows The banking sector relies on sensitive financial data all the time. Though Facebook has made several changes to its seclusion norms over the last couple of years, a lot to a greater extent(prenominal) needs to be done in order to simplify who gets to see what information. Perhaps, a antithetic set of privacy controls for banks and financial institutions would subprogram.Given the afoot(predicate) situation, its unsurprising that most banks prefer Twitter over Facebook as the former has virtual(prenominal)ly no privacy vulnerabilities. The Ovum report indicates that friendly media offers a massive untapped opportunity for financial institutions. Consumer confidence in the bank ing sector has hit an all-time low and a personal touch of societal media would serve as a perfect shot in the arm to lift the struggling global financial industry. Before we plunge into this fast deepening relation mingled with sociable media and banking, let us first understand some basic concepts somewhat banking and mixer media separately.BankingUnder the Central Government Act,Section 5(b) in The Banking Regulation Act, 1949(b) Banking means the accepting, for the purpose of lend or investiture, of deposits of money from the public, re compensateable on demand or otherwise, and withdrawable by cheque, draft, order or otherwiseIn general, a bank is a financial institution and a financial intermediary that accepts deposits and channels those deposits into lending activities, either holdly by loaning or indirectly through capital markets. A bank connects customers who have capital deficits to customers with capital surpluses.Due to their influence inside a financial system and an economy, banks are primarily highly regulated in most countries. Most banks operate under a system k forthwithn as fractional reserve banking where they hold only a smallreserve of the capital deposited and lend out the rest for profit. They are generally checkmate to minimum capital requirements which are found on an international set of capital standards, known as the Basel Accords.Standard activitiesBanks act as payment agents by conducting checking or current accounts for customers, paying checks drawn by customers on the bank, and collecting checks deposited to customers current accounts. Banks also enable customer payments via other payment methods much(prenominal) as Automated Clearing House (ACH), Wire transfers or telegraphic transfer, EFTPOS, and automated teller machine (ATM).Banks borrow money by accepting funds deposited on current accounts, by accepting term deposits, and by issuing debt securities such as banknotes and bonds. Banks lend money by making a dvances to customers on current accounts, by making installment loans, and by investing in marketable debt securities and other forms of money lending.Banks provide dissentent payment services, and a bank account is considered indispensable by most businesses and individuals. Non-banks that provide payment services such as remittance companies are normally not considered as an adequate reticence for a bank account.ProductsRetail banking* Checking account* Savings account* Money market account* Certificate of deposit (CD)* Individual retirement account (IRA)* assign card* Debit card* Mortgage* Home equity loan* Mutual fund* Personal loan* Time deposits* ATM card* original AccountsBusiness (or commercial/investment) banking* Business loan* Capital raising (Equity / Debt / Hybrids)* Mezzanine finance* Project finance* Revolving credit* Risk management (FX, interest rates, commodities, derivatives) * destination loan* Cash Management Services (Lock box, Remote Deposit Capture, Merch ant Processing) Economic functionsThe economic functions of banks accept* Issue of money, in the form of banknotes and current accounts subject to check or payment at the customers order. These claims on banks piece of tail act as money because they are negotiable or repayable on demand, and hence valued at par. They are effectively transferable by mere delivery, in the case of banknotes, or by drawing a check that the payee may bank or cash.* Netting and settlement of payments banks act as both collection and paying agents for customers, participating in interbank neting and settlement systems to collect, present, be presented with, and pay payment instruments. This enables banks to economize on reserves held for settlement of payments, since inward and outward payments offset each other. It also enables the offsetting of payment flows between geographical areas, reducing the follow of settlement between them. * Credit intermediation banks borrow and lend back-to-back on the ir own account as middle men. * Credit quality rise banks lend money to ordinary commercial and personal borrowers (ordinary credit quality), only are high quality borrowers.The improvement comes from diversification of the banks assets and capitalwhich provides a lover to absorb losses without defaulting on its obligations. However, banknotes and deposits are generally unsecured if the bank gets into difficulty and pledges assets as security, to raise the patronage it needs to continue to operate, this puts the note h cureds and depositors in an economically subordinated position. * Asset liability mismatch/Maturity transformation banks borrow to a greater extent on demand debt and short term debt, but provide more long term loans. In other words, they borrow short and lend long.With a stronger credit quality than most other borrowers, banks give the sack do this by aggregating issues (e.g. accepting deposits and issuing banknotes) and redemptions (e.g. withdrawals and redem ption of banknotes), maintaining reserves of cash, investing in marketable securities that can be readily converted to cash if needed, and raising re attitudement funding as needed from various sources (e.g. wholesale cash markets and securities markets). * Money creation whenever a bank gives out a loan in a fractional-reserve banking system, a new sum of virtual money is created.Laws Related To Banking In India1.1.Reserve Bank of India Act, 19341.2.Banking Regulation Act, 19491.3.Negotiable Instrument Act, 18811.4.Consumer Protection Act, 19861.5.Limitation Act, 1963Social MediaSocial media employ web- and meandering(a)-based technologies to support synergistic dialogue and introduce substantial and pervasive changes to communication between organizations, communities, and individuals. Social media are social software which mediate human communication. When the technologies are in place, social media is ubiquitously accessible, and enabled by scalable communication techniques. In the year 2012, social media became one of the most powerful sources for news updates through platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.Classification of social mediaSocial media technologies take on many different forms including magazines, Internet forums, weblogs, social blogs, microblogging, wikis, social networks, podcasts, photographs or pictures, video, rating and social bookmarking. By applying a set of theories in the field of media research (social presence, media richness) and social processes (self-presentation, self-disclosure) Kaplan and Haenlein created a classification scheme in their Business Horizons (2010) article, with six different types of social media collaborative projects (for example, Wikipedia), blogs and microblogs (for example, Twitter), nub communities (for example, YouTube), social networking sites (for example, Facebook), virtual game worlds (e.g., World of Warcraft), and virtual social worlds (e.g. Second Life). Technologies acknowledge bl ogs, picture-sharing, vlogs, wall-postings, email, instant messaging, music-sharing, crowdsourcing and voice over IP, to name a few. Many of these social media services can be integrated via social network aggregation platforms. Social media network websites include sites like Facebook, Twitter, Bebo and MySpace.Mobile social mediaSocial media applications used on mobile devices are called mobile social media. In comparison to tralatitious social media running on computers, mobile social media display a higher location- and time-sensitivity. ane can differentiate between four types of mobile social media applications, depending on whether the message takes account of the specialised location of the user (location-sensitivity) and whether it is received and processed by the user instantaneously or with a time delay (time-sensitivity).* Space-timers (location and time sensitive) Exchange of messages with relevance for one specific location at one specific point-in time (e.g., Faceb ook Places Foursquare) * Space-locators (only location sensitive) Exchange of messages, with relevance for one specific location, which are tagged to a certain place and read later by others (e.g., yelp Qype) * Quick-timers (only time sensitive) Transfer of traditionalistic social media applications to mobile devices to increase immediacy (e.g., posting Twitter messages or Facebook status updates) * Slow-timers (neither location, nor time sensitive) Transfer of traditional social media applications tomobile devices (for example, watching a YouTube video or reading a Wikipedia entry)Mobile social media can also be used on the go when one is not near a personal computer, lap-topetc. With all the new devices that are arriving at our finger tips, gadgets such as tablets, iPods, phones, and many other new products, there is no use for sitting at home using ones PC mobile social media has made other sources of internet browsing obsolete, and allows users to write, respond, and pasture i n real-time. New media of social networking such as Instagram allows the world to interconnect and makes space and time much smaller. Instagram allows individuals to snap a photo wherever they may be and share it with the rest of the world instantly, delivering a social media site full of foreign accomplishments and strange scenarios. This feature was introduced by Facebook and other quick social media sites, Instagram is a recent addition to the social media scene, and has made picture sharing much easier. Mobile social media is a relatively new platform since it is contingent on mobile devices ability to access the Internet.There are various statistics that account for social media usage and effectiveness for individuals worldwide. Some of the most recent statistics are as follows* Social networking now accounts for 22% of all time spent online in the US. * A total of 234 one thousand million people age 13 and older in the U.S. used mobile devices in December 2009. * Twitter pr ocessed more than one billion tweets in December 2009 and averages almost 40 million tweets per day. * Over 25% of U.S. Internet page views occurred at one of the top social networking sites in December 2009, up from 13.8% a year before. * Australia has some of the highest social media usage in the world. In usage of Facebook, Australia ranks highest, with over nine million users spending almost nine hours per month on the site. * The number of social media users age 65 and older grew 100 percent throughout 2010, so that one in four people in that age group are now part of a social networking site. * As of May 2012 Facebook has 901 million users.* Social media has overtaken pornography as the No. 1 activity on the web. * In June 2011, it was account that iPhone applications hit one billion in nine months, and Facebook added 100 million users in less than nine months. * If Facebook were a country it would be the worlds third largest in terms of population, larger even than the US. * In June 2011, it was also reported that U.S. Department of Education study revealed that online students out-performed those receiving face-to-face instruction. * YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world. * In four minutes and 26 seconds 100+ hours of video will be uploaded to YouTube. * One in six higher education students are enrolled in an online curriculum. * In November 2011, it was reported Indians spend more time on social media than on any other activity on the Internet. A brief overview of Indian banks-Pictorial statisticsFacebookTwitterThe Why and How of Social Media w.r.t BankingWhy Social media matters to Banks?Whether a banks ultimate goal is enhancing its brand, reducing costs, increasing customer satisfaction, boosting innovation ,or driving tax income ,social media can be a valuable pursuit. Enhancing the brandSocial media can play an important role in differentiating brands and making them more relevant to consumers. overmuch of its power in this regard derives from the fact that in a consumers mind, the most credible spokesperson a company can have is a person like me. In fact, research shows that the number of people who trust such a hypothetical person more than they trust brands or organizations increases virtually the world each year. How can banks take advantage of people like me? American Express, for one, created OPEN Forum, an online community dedicated to connecting businesses with each other and providing valuable content to customers with which the company wants to have relationships. Today, OPEN Forum has more than 10,000businesses involved, monthly traffic has reached as high as 1.5 million visits,5 and the majority of content is produced by the community. The result is a new touch point that drives brand affinity, provides American Express with an immense opportunity to create brand impressions, and gives the company a chance to be at the center of important conversations among its customers.Reducing CostsSoc ial media can be a major contributor to banks ongoing cost reduction efforts, especially as they pertain to service, gross sales, and marketing. For instance, banks can use social media as a low-cost channel to distribute messages, host conversations, provide customer service, identify dissatisfy customers, and increase the impact and reach of traditional media efforts. Consider Bank of America, which was the first and largest bank in the world to use Twitter for customer service. The bank uses a dedicated Twitter page on which a wide variety of real peoplewith their actual photos help customers solve their issues. User feedback reveals the sentiment among customers that receiving help through this page is easier and faster than traditional customer service.In addition to driving customer service costs down, the page creates brand impressions across consumers social graphs, thereby allowing other consumers to see the value of the channel for a variety of goals. The channel also ca n enhance the impact of marketing. Consider, for example, how Discover Bank of late created a Facebook identity for Peggy, a character from its popular series of TV ads. Today, that character is liked by nearly 9,000 consumers, and interacts with them several times a day. such campaigns create millions of additional brand impressions inside of Facebook, as well as new opportunities for brands to interact with their customers in a low-cost format.Creating and improving innovation Banks can use the channel to create better, more innovative products and services that reflect real-time consumer demand. Chase, for example, created an online community of mass-affluent consumers and tasked the group with deviseing a credit card purpose-built to their specific wants and needs. The result its highly successful Chase Priority Club Rewards card. Chase also created a Community Giving program that allows consumers to direct thebanks donations to specific charities. As of this writing, that co mmunity had directed more than $5 million to 100 local charities. Through this initiative, Chases philanthropic entity is initiation up its decision-making to crowds and involving millions of people in the process Increasing revenue While the use of social media to drive revenue within banks is still in its infancy, results from other industries further along the growth curve are encouraging. Avis, for example, has been able to use a variety of coordinated social media efforts to boost its sales by 9 percentin a competitive, commoditized industry with flat or declining revenues.As an example of a more specific and successful effort, USAA, a financial services provider for members of the US armed forces, allows site visitors to rate products like auto insurance or home equity lines of credit and add a compose review. In fact, USAA customers have added thousands of reviews to products, and consumers have responded strongly In the first year of adding product reviews to the site, USA A claims incremental sales of over 15,000 products. This tactic clearly shows a direct impact on growth and demonstrates the value of people like me. In both cases, using social media to unlock increased revenue requires firms to focus on fundamentals. Providing service that customers want to talk about and delivering products that are worth recommending. Once those conditions exist, the chance of successfully using social media to drive revenue goes up exponentially. A uniquely challenging industryFor many banks, all of the examples in the world are not enough to get off the commencement blocks. Typical challenges include External communications are strictly governed by a host of rules and regulations that limit what they can and cannot say. Banks essentialinessiness observe strict rules regarding consumers personal information and data security. Sanctioned employees, whether from customer service, marketing, or another functional group, must be knowledgeable about products, services, rules, and how to get things done within the bankand they must be mature enough to make decisions and craft responses to difficult questions. Plus, all this must be done within the strict legal and regulatory framework that banks lie in and occur within real time in order to be effective.For many banks, technology itself is a major concern when it comes to implementing a socialmedia schema. Banks must identify and implement the tools they will need to be active in social networks, from simple listening platforms to sophisticated tools that enable the integration of social media with bequest CRM systems, customer service tools and workflows, reporting and record keeping requirements, and overall marketing analytics. Finally, some banks will need to overcome a lack of organizational structures and in-house talents to derive full business value from social media. More specifically, many banks may find they have to close talent gaps and bridge internal divisions between pr oduct-oriented teams, all while gaining senior leadership support for a company-wide approach to social media. This is no small task, especially given the fact that most senior leaders are not well-versed in social media.A path toward social media masteryWhile the preceding paints a picture of industry-wide challenges, there is a path that banks can use to begin their social media journey. It starts with gathering critical knowledge that will guide the development of their outline and assure positive outcomes. To begin, banks must strive to understand what their customers, prospects, and competitors are discussing online, as well as the social technologies that seem most relevant. This includes developing profiles of how various customer segments actually use social technology and pinch the practical implications of those uses. For example, strategies for student loan customers may vary widely from those designed for private wealth management clients in areas of execution, conten t, and technology. Banks also must assess their current social media capabilities and activities All too often there are separate, potentially conflicting social media initiatives under way, as well as underutilized technology, insights, and sustain. Banks must begin to consider their collective presence versus that of individual lines of business.Consumers dont make those distinctions, and neither should banks. It is critical for banks to get a firm acquire on what competitors are doing in the social media space, and where white space exists. Bank of America, American Express, and Chase all have done this with their respective social media efforts, but that does not mean no space is left to establish a presence. To find this space, banks have to ask two questions of themselves What can we deliver to our customers that we dont offer today, and howwill it provide them with value? Social media sponsors must critically review risk. Specifically, they must identify specific social me dia concerns, assess their likeliness, and establish processes to carry on adverse events. Prior to involving senior management, it is necessary to have answers to these questions, examples of how others have navigated similar waters, and concrete ideas on the trade-offs between risk and reward.And as mentioned earlier, banks must establish clear business objectives and map them to specific areas in which social media can generate value. All of the above becomes a moot point if efforts are not impelled by real business goals. By addressing each of the preceding areas, social media teams can build senior leadership support for and sponsorship of overall social media efforts. In Accentures experience, successful initiatives typically involve one or more executives with deep passion for and experience with technology and social media. It is crucial to find and engage these people and use their influence to open the eyes of the broader C-suite.Crafting a Social Media StrategyAll of th is work will prepare banks for the successful development and implementation of a comprehensive social media strategy. To be effective , such a strategy must encompass the following areasCrafting the VisionWith an overarching framework in place, social media can be designed from the ground up , versus as a collection of disparate tactics .It also can focus on a specific segments and experiences, as well as on the necessary internal piping to implement social media connections across channels. Indeed, every good customer experience is carefully designed and good social media experiences must follow suit.Defining and Measuring Success A Banks Social media strategy must encompass well-defined metrics that reflect progress toward the banks business goals ( as defined in the vision). However, first and foremost , they must conform with the same type of metrics that drive business today . For Example, a social media strategy focused on sales as an outcome should look at driving traffic from social media, converting that traffic into leads, and successfully cross-sellingand up-selling customers that are interacting across social media channels. In effect, viewing the efforts through the same eyes that traditional channels evaluate success.GovernanceA social media strategy should include clear governance and effective organizational structures, whether that means establishing a dedicated social media center of excellence or appointing social media champions across the banks functional groups and/or product lines. Regardless of the specific measures or structures in place , the banks goal should be to support efficient , effective engagement in social media with the right skills, staff, and controls . this Structure must be nimble, include processes for iteration ,and have senior leadership included.TechnologyPerhaps counter-intuitively, it is only when the vision, metrics , and organizational structures have been defined that the bank should start thinking about tec hnologies and the tactics they dictate. Banks Should start with basic learning and listening platforms that allow them to test the waters and identify areas of potential engagement, and then progressively integrate that platform with existing CRM tools to achieve a single view of customers. Banks must also consider what technologies are appropriate for record keeping and adherence to the policy.Recognizing that not all starting points are the sameThe level of Social Media experience that a bank has plays an important role while crafting a social media strategy. The scope of the social media strategy depends on the relative social media maturity of the bank. The strategy used by a bank that has substantial experience in social media will differ in some aspects from the strategy used by a bank which is new to social media. Banks with less experience in Social Media The social media strategy used by the banks with no or relatively less experience in social media should address the foll owing questions * They should pay attention to the scope in terms of the functional areas covered by the strategy, important business goals, and the business processes used to achieve those goals. *They should also focus on building engagement among pick out stakeholders and assessing their willingness to participate in theinitiative This is as much about creating an initial coalition of the willing as it is about telling a compelling baloney on how social media can positively impact business results. * They should also learn from lean on agency partners and others that have been through the fire before. Banks with significant experience in Social Media The social media strategy used by the banks with significant experience in social media should address the following questions * The Social media champions within these banks must know when it is time to seek help from inside and outside the firm.This is needed because the expanding range of social media analysis and reporting will begin to bury marketing staff and merits the involvement of dedicated analytical and technical staff. * As these banks begin to expand the use of social media across product lines, they have to design governance models that can keep pace, as well as focus on integrating social media technologies with CRM systems to achieve a truly holistic view of cross-channel, multi-product customers.Successful Integration of Social Media into the OperationsBanks that have been successful in integrating social media into their operations often have grass-roots efforts to thank. These banks have passionate leaders who have led social media efforts for individual product or service lines. The key to moving beyond grass roots and getting the entire organization pulling in the same direction is actively engaging senior leadership. Only then will the full brand-building power of social media truly be realized.How banks use social mediaAccording to the survey conducted by MHP Communications amongst th e heads of communications and public relations specialists at more than 35 global banks to gain an understanding into social media habits across the banking industry. In broad terms, use of social media is high with the majority of respondents (53%), using social media both in a private and a business capacity. 30% use social media outside of a work context and 3% for business purposes only. 15% of all respondents do not use social media at all, which is a high percentage given that social media generally sits under the communications departments remit. Whilst social media has become a mainstream activity, it is notable that more respondents use social mediafor personal means than in a business context. When looking at the purpose of social media, it is widely seen as a good source of information on what is happening in the media (75% of respondents).Interestingly it is less seen as a direct route to the customer, but more to communicate broadly and advertise products and solutions More than two thirds say they use social media for communications and public relations purposes, whereas 42% use it for marketing and sales activities. Customer service is a key purpose for 25% only. In the retail banking sector social media has a more established footprint than in the investment banking world. This follows the logical conclusion that for customer service and customer engagement purposes the mass consumer market is appreciative of being able to communicate with banks through these new, yet very much established platforms. And banks are increasingly keen to appear more customer-friendly whilst tackling the image the sector has as consisting of traditional and staid organizations. In the investment banking world social media takes on a different purpose, and has even become a platform to be feared and avoided.It is also not seen as a traditional direct route to clients. This is changing however, and one senior PR manager commented that the banks trading desk recently received a client involve for traders to be given access to Twitter to monitor and engage with client comments throughout the trading day. The use of social media within the internal communications function is relevant for around one third of respondents (36%) which represents a vast untapped potential given the range of opportunities to share knowledge and information internally that social media creates. Free tools such as Yammer, Twitter with protected tweets or Google+ with individual circles make information available only to a selection of people, so they can be used to streamline internal communication processes. However, and this is a key problem for a heavily regulated industry such as the banking sector, social media platforms are provided by external third parties.Any shared data which is of a sensitive or confidential nature will in many cases be stored on the providers servers which may not provide sufficient protection or peace of mind for the banking sector. Most pr oviders are based in the US where legislation may, under certain circumstances, require them to reveal their clients identities or other data. Also, social media platform providers are commercial operations and there is the risk that data is misused, misplacedor falsely allocated. Many banks feel that sensitive data should only be stored and transmitted on their own radix to ensure full compliance. At the same time, regulatory bodies such as the Financial Services Authority (FSA) in the UK aim to make social media more widely user-friendly for banks by publishing guidelines and recommendations.As a consequence there is a high level of insecurity as to what can and cannot be done. Despite these issues, social media is now seen as forming a strategic part of a communications program rather than representing solely a tactical activity, with 84% of banks now having a specific social media strategy. Nearly one third has started to execute a strategy, and 15% have a fully developed strat egy in place. More than 40% are currently in the process of creating a strategy, and only 16% have not started thinking about or have decided not to have a social media strategy in place. A number of banks do have a social media strategy, but no defined goals for the strategy 27% responded that they have not established specific goals for their social media strategy. Measuring the success of a social media program is perceived to be more complicated than for traditional PR which may explain why metrics and, in effect, goals remain vague.